Here's a thought.
It's the Oregon Track Club right? Not the Eugene Track Club. Perhaps someone could approach runners from elsewhere in the state where there has already been a test of interaction between the two activities. Maybe you could find some 'case histories' in which it's worked or not.

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
- Anonymous

Comment

Here's a thought.
It's the Oregon Track Club right? Not the Eugene Track Club. Perhaps someone could approach runners from elsewhere in the state where there has already been a test of interaction between the two activities. Maybe you could find some 'case histories' in which it's worked or not.

I love the thinking, but I really don't think the OTC will be convinced. They will keep up the attack until the course, or the possiblility of the course, is gone.

This isn't about disc golf or saftey. It's Eugene. Running is sacred. It's a religion, Pre is their God, and the trail is a church.

Comment

If you read the original post, you can see that this isn't about having to prove if a running trail can co-exist with a disc golf course. They do all the time in many places. This course has been designed and tested on multiple occassions as part of a two year public planning process. On the recent trial days several hundred people played over 1300 rounds, resulting in a conservative estimate of 75000 throws. No reported safety incidents.

However, disc golf isn't invisible. This issue has boiled down to whether it's more important to provide a recreational opportunity for the people of Eugene that has come out of a two year public planning process with overwhelming public support, or to make sure that runners on Pre's Trail don't have to see and hear other park users (except the ones they already see and hear every day: the non-runners using the trail, the dog walkers, the kids, the transient campers, etc) in the few moments it takes them to run 800 feet.

Comment

I hate to say it, but this running organization sounds like a bunch of selfish snobs who feel everything should revolve around THEM. What happened to people having the ability to share resources? Just like so many problematic issues these days, its just another sad case of intolerance.

"You won't like me when I am angry, because I always back up my rage with facts and documented sources". - The Credible Hulk

Comment

I hate to say it, but this running organization sounds like a bunch of selfish snobs who feel everything should revolve around THEM. What happened to people having the ability to share resources? Just like so many problematic issues these days, its just another sad case of intolerance.

This is Eugene, where everything is an "issue" and for every public topic the people saying NO almost always trump getting anything done. Even when it's a long public process with clear results, as long as a group (usually an influential one) says NO loudly enough, things don't happen or more typically we start another process.

There won't be another process this time. We either get this course proposal going forward (and there are still significant hurdles after this one) or we can forget about more disc golf in Eugene for at least 10 years. 23 years since we've had anything moving for disc golf in Eugene, and if they think we're going to be stopped over 800 feet of ambience they've got another think coming.

But to be fair, it is not really the membership of OTC, it's a few of the OTC board members. I have not heard of any OTC rank and file members who give two bleeps about the proposal, and I don't know that the board is unanimous.

Then, the aforementioned "news" story and web article by KVAL in which Neta Prefontaine continues her campaign against the course which unfortunately relies on a lot of misinformation. But here's the great part - check out the comments! Several disc golfers chime in but so do several non-disc golfers, almost all of them supporting the proposal:

And yesterday Andrew Rich was able to get KEZI, the other local TV station that ran a similar "news" story to come back to the park and hear the facts about the course. So far, no word if KVAL will do the same but you will notice on the KVAL web story that they are using Andrew's course maps that clearly show how little the trail will be affected. Excellent job Andrew, keep on them!

Comment

I just read through the thread and will send a few e-mails off tomorrow.

This small fraction of the trail wouldn't have to be taken out or rerouted, so it's difficult to understand why they're going to such lengths to 'preserve' it.
I'm sure there's hundreds of examples, but Lakewood Park/ DGC in Seattle often gets used for high school cross-country meets. The running 'course' uses much of the grounds, and there has never (to my knowledge) been any issue with either party sharing the park.

Don't just walk past that candy wrapper on the fairway-- I know you saw it!

Comment

So has anyone heard of what the city has decided on the Alton Baker course? I had a friend the other day that said he had heard they were doing it.

There has been no official announcement that I am aware of, and the planner in charge has assured me we will be notified when they are ready.

Unofficially we have heard that some version of the proposal will continue to go forward. I'm pretty certain it will not be what we were hoping for and that the Oregon Track Club will be happy with the decision.

But let's wait until the City officially announces something, hopefully soon.

Comment

There has been no official announcement that I am aware of, and the planner in charge has assured me we will be notified when they are ready.

Unofficially we have heard that some version of the proposal will continue to go forward. I'm pretty certain it will not be what we were hoping for and that the Oregon Track Club will be happy with the decision.

But let's wait until the City officially announces something, hopefully soon.